Gerry Birrell
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| Gerry Birrell | |
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| Born | July 30, 1944 Glasgow |
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| Died | June 23, 1973 (aged 28) Rouen, France |
| Occupation | Racing driver |
Gerry Birrell (30 July 1944 - 23 June 1973) was a Scottish racing driver who was killed in an accident during practice for a Formula Two race at Rouen-Les-Essarts.
Birrell started racing single seaters at the relatively late age of 24. He began in Formula Vee and Formula Ford, racing against drivers such as Emerson Fittipaldi and James Hunt. He progessed to Formula 3 and Formula 2 in 1970, racing private Brabhams and a Lotus 69. Birrell was also successful in touring cars, mainly in a Ford Capri - taking a Class win in the 1972 24 Hours of Le Mans.
By 1973 he was being slated to replace his fellow Scot Jackie Stewart at Tyrrell Racing in Formula One. A promising career was ended during qualifying for the F2 Trophee D'Europe race at Rouen when a front tyre failed at the notorious Six Freres corner, Birrell's Chevron B25 being thrown into a poorly secured crash barrier. The rail was lifted by the force of the crash, and the Chevron passed beneath it, decapitating the unfortunate Birrell.
Note : A driver with whom Birrell shared a drive at the 1973 24 Hours of Le Mans, Helmut Koinigg, was killed in an almost identical fashion in the 1974 United States Grand Prix
[edit] Source
Motor Sport (April 2004 issue) - Lost Before His Time by Adam Cooper
